


Easy In

by Chromophilic_Daydream



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Based off a comic, M/M, Some spoilers for end game, Takes place in July
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 02:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11117793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chromophilic_Daydream/pseuds/Chromophilic_Daydream
Summary: Where Akechi Goro explores his frustrations over a game of darts.





	Easy In

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by a comic by @akushus on twitter! The original comic is here!
> 
> https://twitter.com/akeshus/status/871934549525225473
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Soft _thwacks_ were all that could be heard echoing through barren walls of the rundown space that barely counted as an apartment.

Rhythmic, sharp, dull beats unevenly timed and heavy handed as darts hit their target again and again. Between the worn vinyl flooring and paint peeled plaster walls mixed with the single harsh overhead light in the small room made the apartment feel like it had been abandoned to the ages. Only the small recycled furnishings and cleanliness of the room gave any indication that someone was actually living there. Off in the corner, a small blanket lay in a crumpled heap next to a cardboard box with folded clothes peeking out of the ripped corner and a small silver briefcase rested against it.

No other personal items were to be found, not a book or even a photo, save only a framed dartboard that hung perfectly level against a shared wall.

 _Thwack_.

A young man sat on a worn, squat table in the room, a silver dart having just left his bare hand. His sharp eyes focused ahead of him on his target. His tongue tucked between his teeth in concentration and eyebrows knit. He picked up another dart, his last, and took careful aim, letting it fly from his hand. A slight feeling of satisfaction bloomed in his chest as the projectile once again hit its mark.

He got up from the table that gave a low groan as it creaked from the shift in weight. Slowly, he started pulling the darts out of the picture he taped onto the board, taking care not to rip the picture. It was motivating, and slightly annoying, to see how many more holes it accumulated since the last time he used it, which was just about a week previous.

He usually played darts when he had free time in the past, which had been little to none. He had been lucky to find a board second hand for as little as he did. It was something to do, something to occupy his mind from over analyzing every excruciating detail of his plans and dwell on hypothetical situations and what-ifs. By honing his energy on what was in front of him, he could keep himself from becoming messy.

That focus was critical; darts helped him cope with it.

And that was exactly why he found himself playing darts more often recently. Too often he found himself pondering sentimental what-if’s. Too often lately he had let Kurusu Akira under his skin. It made him waiver, and he could not afford to ‘waiver’.

That guy really pissed him off.

Goro pulled the final arrow out of the scaled up photo of Kurusu’s mugshot he had printed out with a smirk hugging his lips. He could see the original board behind the hole where his eye used to be. That was a good shot and it served him right. He was a pest and pests should be eliminated.

Every time he saw him, he found ways to push Goro’s buttons. Whether it was an oddly placed question, or an invitation to the Café Leblanc, or one of their most recent encounter where he 'jokingly' called one of his friends a Phantom Thief after his inquiry, it lit a flame inside him that brought his curiosity to a boiling point. Every since the first moment they met at the TV station some months ago and challenged him on the topic of the Phantom Thieves, he began to wonder more and more about him. At first it was pleasant to talk to each other about such subjects so honestly....

But in the coming summer months, it seemed like they were finding each other too often to be called a coincidence. It was becoming more and more obvious that they were both playing a game. Their encounters now were a carefully balanced charade; a challenge. And he wasn’t so inferior that he would back down from someone like that.

Especially since the operation he and Shido had concocted was soon to come to fruition. The fake Medjed threat made it's debut a week ago and it was all the city could talk about. It had been a perfect time to confirm his suspicions about these less-than-subtle teens that fit his image of the Phantom Thieves perfectly. They all but affirmed their identities, they were sloppy and didn't have a very good handle on their emotions, it was honestly the perfect chance to ambush them to verify their identities just by reading the panic in their voices as Medjed issued a fresh threat to them.

Yet after that confrontation, he felt a little closer to their very obvious leader... somehow. He didn’t know why, but Kurusu seemed to be insistent on sizing him up or going out of his way to frustrate him with pointless banter. Before this, he already had suspicions about him being the leader of the Phantom Thieves, and that put him more on edge than he already had been. More often than not, he thought about what exactly the other man was hoping to achieve... Probably try to distract him from figuring out his identity? Either way it didn't work, whatever his plan was.

But for some reason he couldn't wrap his head around it. Why would he continue to egg him on? Continue to try to bring Goro closer to him? Why was he trying to draw attention to himself? He wasn't stupid, maybe. Kurusu had to know he was suspicious. He was a detective, after all.

He didn't understand. It was a distraction. He couldn't afford to be distracted.

It was annoying.

Some days, like today, he found Goro at the Shibuya station, at the bakery stand that always had specials he was interested in. The Shujin student struck up some leisurely conversation for the sake of… he didn’t know what. What transpired was simple, idle inquiries about cafes and food. Goro simply smiled at him, and answered his trivial questions earnestly. Really their conversation meant nothing in the long run. But that's when a single question broke his train of thought for a mere moment that felt like eternity.

"You know," The dark hair teenager shifted his glasses and tapped his foot against the floor. "Since you like so many of these kinds of places, you really should give Leblanc a try. I promise the curry is really good."

Strike one, once again offering him an invitation to the place he knew Kurusu lived. He heard a lot about Leblanc from Sae and when Kurusu mentioned it before, he had carefully avoided his previous invitation citing work. Doubling down, he decided to use it again.

"Ah, yes I recall you mentioning that to me once before. As I said, work really is busy an-"

"But you're here, talking to me right now, how busy can work be? Even you have to have off days yeah?" He interrupted his explanation like a hot knife through a bat of butter.

Goro gritted his teeth and his smile widened. A conditioned response to when he was challenged. And that was a challenge, he could hear an edge of arrogance laced in the question. Strike two.

"Oh, you'd be surprised just how much work I do! It's really convenient to come to this bakery as it's on my way home." He was poised to keep his voice level as he swallowed down his annoyance. Why was it such a big deal? Why did he want him of all people to come spend time with him? Was he as aware of their situation as Goro was? Was he trying to get information about how much he knew about the Phantom Thieves?

"Hmm..." Kurusu fell quiet and for a half a second, he saw a means of escaping the conversation but-

"You can come in anytime and stay as long as you want. I mean, it's quiet and you can work from there. Why don't we exchange emails or something, and I'll tell you when we are running set specials."

Strike three. His flight response kicked into overdrive.

"Ah, perhaps another time! Speaking of which, I really do need to leave!" He feigned checking his phone for the time. "I have an appointment to keep! I'll see you some other time." He didn't wait for a response, just waved his hand and walked away from the scene as calmly as possible. His heart was the exact opposite. When he was far enough away, he glanced behind his shoulder and saw him still standing there, his posture more lax than he had ever seen it, shoulders hunched, gaze down turned. He almost looked like he was talking to himself too. He looked like a hurt puppy.

Heat surged through his veins at the sight and he quickly rounded the corner to properly process what had happened. Another quick glance showed that the other high schooler had started walking off in the direction he came. So he wasn't meeting up with anyone... he purposefully came over to talk with him? He didn't ask about the investigation into the Phantom Thieves and he asked him for personal information to keep in touch with him...

It was a giant puzzle and he didn't know what the end picture looked like, just a ton of pieces in front of him with no idea where to begin. That alone was enough to ignite a surge of anger inside him. What was this game he was playing at?

Another dart absently flew from his hand without him really noticing as he sat back down on his table. The fluorescent light above was beginning to bore into his eyes, obscuring his aim. He still hit his target, the sound bringing him back to the present. He leaned back on his free hand, the heat in his apartment was starting to cause his bangs to stick to his forehead and his hair to his neck. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small band and tied his hair back to let the air from his struggling air con hit his nape and his gaze fell back to the photo Kurusu.

There were several holes, it was almost getting difficult to tell who it was that was so carefully taped to the board. This was a direct result of his frustration with his current situation. Waiting periods like this were crucial to keep an agile mind and remain as objective as possible. But the nagging questions of meager 'what if's' and 'why's' gnawed at the back of his mind

Why was Kurusu seeking him out like this?

What if... he wanted to pursue a real friendship with him.

The other boy was always so honest and upfront with his feelings, something Goro could never be. The thought pitted against his empty stomach as jealousy crept up his spine, making him shudder. He couldn't afford to be careless, to wear his heart on his sleeve. He was the only one he had in this world and he wouldn't throw it away for anyone...

But the thought...

He swallowed hard and let another arrow fly, missing the board entirely and puncturing the cheap plaster wall with a sickening smack. Another hole to patch.

The thought was nice.

Having someone he could rely on, this bizarre fantasy he never thought he'd indulge in, was... enjoyable. His chest tightened when he thought about how disappointed Kurusu looked, that he caused that feeling in another human being. He wasn't unfamiliar with being a disappointment, but... this was different somehow. There had to be a reason he-

Perhaps he could dabble in hypotheticals for a moment.

Maybe sometime he would go to Leblanc, the look of surprise on Kurusu's face would be worth it. He smiled unconsciously at the thought. Those grey eyes wide and surprised. He would greet him warmly and chat with him about the most mundane things... His mouth went dry, his heart beating faster than the first time he had ever entered the Metaverse...

But it wasn't fear. It was something he couldn't put his finger on.

It was scarier than the Metaverse, scarier than his ultimate goal of exposing his father... this unknown feeling was terrifying to him and also excited him. 

He picked up all the darts and threw them all as hard as he could against the wall in frustration, not bothering to aim, just throw.

 _Thwack, thwack, thwack_ \-- One right after another. A sharp metal sound rung in his ears, over his heavy breath. His gaze drifted up.

What.

He got up, just as his neighbor began banging on the shared wall, tell him to shut up already. He ignored it and examined the board. One of his darts struck the first one he threw in this leg. The tip pierced the flight, splitting the shaft. A Robin Hood... That had never happened before.

He yanked the two darts out of Kurusu's head and looked at them. His frustration melted away in the summer heat and he placed the darts on his table, a thoughtful hum passed his lips.

He couldn't afford to get distracted and caught up in all these emotions... but it had been nice to think about the possibilities, even if the future held none for him. He decided to get ready for bed, pulling out the patchy blanket and rummaging through his clothes for pajamas. After he was done with his bath and getting ready for the night, he looked over at the hole ridden picture and smiled softly.

"Good night... Akira." The name stuck in his throat and he shook his head, turning off the light. Maybe he would try going to Leblanc, maybe. His days living like he was now were numbered, his own motivations and goals to be realized soon. It would be a glorious moment, one he had been dreaming about since his mother died. He wouldn't let her down, not again.

He laid down on the blanket, his own makeshift bed of many years, and found himself again wondering, for not the first time, how life would have been different if he and Akira had met years ago. The thought made his chest hurt as he curled up under the wall mounted air conditioner. Even when he wasn't around, he managed to get under Goro's skin, his mind drifted to possibilities he never thought about before. But he refused to call attention to this crush, because really, that's what this was. That excitement he felt whenever he talked to Akira, his heart always beat a little faster, it was obvious, right? But if he didn't say it out loud it didn't count right? He was purely interested in pursuing their relationship for his own selfish desires of revenge. That's what he told himself as he started to drift off to sleep.

No matter what happened his resolve wouldn't falter. He would meet every single challenge Akira presented to him head on, for his justice.

He was going to need to buy more darts.


End file.
